1. Trinidad Macaroni Pie (recipe)[2]
This dish is a stereotypical part of the traditional Trinidadian Sunday lunch and is also offered in cubed form at BBQs and other casual outdoor functions. Feel free to play around with the proportions. A sprinkling of parsley on top after it comes out of the oven, though not traditional, adds a dash of colour and enough appearance of ‘nutrition’ to soothe any guilt you may have over the comforting (but over the top) fatty starchy content

4. Bagna Romano (recipe)[5]
This recipe for Bagna Romano couldn’t be any simpler. Pasta, anchovies, garlic and cheese. That’s it! The pasta is so delicious it is a meal in itself!

5. Baked Ziti With Cauliflower: Ziti Gratinati (recipe)[6]
There is something about the dishes that I’ve tried so far from America’s master chef Mario Batali. Something very clean, simple and almost spartan. I really appreciate how his recipes allow the flavours of his ingredients to shine, and how he creates an interplay of textures that never seems forced or contrived.

And, if you want even more ideas. Here are 5 Pasta Cookbooks, picked for your enjoyment

When exploring the world of pasta, it’s important to not only realize the various forms that recipes for it can take, but also the wide variety of shapes, colors and textures that form the pasta lexicon. This assortment of hand-selected book will get you up and running in no time when it comes to understanding the two.

First in line is Guiliano Hazan’s Classic Pasta Cookbook. The son of Italian cookbook extraordinaire, Marcella Hazan, the Classic Pasta Cookbook won the James Beard for Best International Cookbook in 1993 and has been published in 12 languages and 16 countries.

Many pasta books give short thrift to vegetarian sauces which is why I have also included (and love) Pasta e Verdura. This book has -nothing but- vegetarian sauces, 140 of them actually! Perfect for vegetarians and flexitarians (such as myself). Several of my readers have mentioned that they are taking part in the Meatless Monday movement (and if you are one of them, congrats!), so I hope that this book helps you in growing your repertoire

Spanning the worlds of Italian Pasta, Eastern European Noodles, as well as Asian, the Pasta Bible is replete, not only with recipes (and there are a lot of them!), but also photos and detailed history.

Not interested in all that historical lore? Just looking for some quick classics and maybe some new favourites? Then the Essential Pasta Cookbook will be right up your alley. What it lacks in romanticism and depth it more than makes up for in practicality of application. Hunger will never have a place to stay as long as this book is on your shelf

[14] The Pasta Bible: The Definitive Sourcebook, with over 1,000 Illustrations: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785819096?ie=UTF8&tag=trinigourmetc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0785819096